Exodus 17
17
Water from the Rock
1At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin#17:1 The geographical name Sin is related to Sinai and should not be confused with the English word sin. and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. 2So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.
“Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”
3But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”
4Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”
5The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai.#17:6 Hebrew Horeb, another name for Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.
7Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”
Israel Defeats the Amalekites
8While the people of Israel were still at Rephidim, the warriors of Amalek attacked them. 9Moses commanded Joshua, “Choose some men to go out and fight the army of Amalek for us. Tomorrow, I will stand at the top of the hill, holding the staff of God in my hand.”
10So Joshua did what Moses had commanded and fought the army of Amalek. Meanwhile, Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of a nearby hill. 11As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. 12Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.
14After the victory, the Lord instructed Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a permanent reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will erase the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-Nissi (which means “the Lord is my banner”). 16He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now#17:16 Or Hands have been lifted up to the Lord’s throne, and now. the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.”
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Exodus 17: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Exodus 17
17
Water from the Rock
1Then #Ex. 16:1all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of #Num. 33:11–15Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to #Ex. 15:22; Num. 20:2drink. 2#Ex. 14:11; Num. 20:2, 3, 13Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”
So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you #(Deut. 6:16); Ps. 78:18, 41; (Matt. 4:7); 1 Cor. 10:9tempt the Lord?”
3And the people thirsted there for water, and the people #Ex. 16:2, 3complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our #Ex. 12:38livestock with thirst?”
4So Moses #Ex. 14:15cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to #John 8:59; 10:31stone me!”
5And the Lord said to Moses, #Ezek. 2:6“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which #Num. 20:8you struck the river, and go. 6#Num. 20:10, 11; Deut. 8:15; Neh. 9:15; Ps. 78:15; 105:41; 114:8; (1 Cor. 10:4)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”
And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7So he called the name of the place #Num. 20:13, 24; 27:14; Ps. 81:7Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”
Victory over the Amalekites
8#Gen. 36:12; Num. 24:20; Deut. 25:17–19; 1 Sam. 15:2Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with #Ex. 4:20the rod of God in my hand.” 10So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11And so it was, when Moses #(James 5:16)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
14Then the Lord said to Moses, #Ex. 24:4; 34:27; Num. 33:2“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that #Deut. 25:19; 1 Sam. 15:3; 2 Sam. 1:1; 1 Chr. 4:43I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16for he said, “Because the Lord has #Gen. 22:14–16sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.